Just got back from a winter backpacking overnighter. What a great weekend.
My wife got me a Swamp Rat Rodent 9 this year for my birthday, bless her heart! I have been using an Esee 5 for my pack "survival" knife and absolutely love it, but was looking for something a bit larger for the bigger chopping duties. After plenty of research I landed on the Rodent 9. #1 reason was the 1/4" blade thickness.
This weekend was her maiden voyage. We fell 3 trees, the Rodent 9 processed all of them, like butter. [mop]
Couldn't be happier!!
Check out the stack of fire wood........
01-20-2014, 23:26
ray1970
Dang it. Now I need to do a little research. I've been thinking about a Junglass.
01-20-2014, 23:43
Tinelement
Shootersfab (in the white) has the Junglas. Awesome knife! Since he already had one, and we do a lot of these adventures together, I figured I try the Swamp Rat out. I'm glad I did. That extra weight with the 1/4" blade is very noticeable when you make contact after a swing. It's more to carry around, although it's not much. I also think you get a little better splitter with the 1/4" blade, wedges the wood open farther.
01-21-2014, 01:01
Irving
Great timing on this post. Just tonight I was messing with my stone grinding wheel and decided I need to make a large knife out of the old lawnmower blade I have laying around in my garage.
01-21-2014, 02:04
beast556
I'm gonna get an esee 5 soon. Any of you guys know of any one localy selling esee knives???
01-21-2014, 08:28
rbeau30
I need to test out my gear in winter. I want to do this but with only my get home bag.
01-21-2014, 09:06
kidicarus13
Quote:
Originally Posted by beast556
I'm gonna get an esee 5 soon. Any of you guys know of any one localy selling esee knives???
Rapid Fire Bunker
01-21-2014, 09:07
spleify
Awesome vid Neal. Thanks for sharing!
01-21-2014, 09:16
Tinelement
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbeau30
I need to test out my gear in winter. I want to do this but with only my get home bag.
I want to do that also! I went pretty light. 42 lbs including the clothes I wore. We did a snow cave, no tents.
We are going to start a vid on the complete trip this week. :)
01-21-2014, 10:01
mcjhr
Great vid! Nice soundtrack too. Was that the Sven saw?
01-21-2014, 10:07
Irving
Awesome video by the way. Very well put together.
01-21-2014, 11:57
rbeau30
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinelement
I want to do that also! I went pretty light. 42 lbs including the clothes I wore. We did a snow cave, no tents.
We are going to start a vid on the complete trip this week. :)
I Subbed so I can see it when it comes out. Maybe I can learn something before it is me out in the cold.
01-21-2014, 21:53
Tinelement
I was just putting the Rodent away and thought I would snap a few pictures.
Rodent 9, Mashed Cat sheath, Esee Molle back and pouch.....
Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup
01-21-2014, 22:31
rbeau30
Quote:
Originally Posted by blacklabel
Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup
this
01-21-2014, 22:36
Irving
Quote:
Originally Posted by blacklabel
Nice kits Tin. I need to finish getting my BK2 setup
+2. I considered making an ultra light BOB out of a machete inside of a shotgun scabbard with molle webbing. With the Molle on there, you can have one small bag for fire starting, a trauma kit, and maybe an emergency blanket or something. Seemed like it would be awkward to carry though, so I like TinElement's set-up a little better.
01-21-2014, 23:22
Tinelement
The Esee rides along daily on my GHB. Think I covered that over in the survival threads, although that was probably 2 yrs ago, it's always changing. Although it is tore down now, cause some of it comes backpacking, I should do a current review on it......
01-23-2014, 14:57
hunterhawk
That sounds and looks fun! I would have liked to have seen the hotel you stayed on though too! Looks like a fun! I need to do stuff like this but my buddies are too city for stuff like that! Good stuff and nice knife!
01-23-2014, 15:18
sellersm
Nice vid! What's your secret sauce for the homemade fire disk? Or is that in a thread somewhere?
What saw was that?
01-23-2014, 18:55
Tinelement
Quote:
Originally Posted by sellersm
Nice vid! What's your secret sauce for the homemade fire disk? Or is that in a thread somewhere?
What saw was that?
They are the round make-up discs dipped on candle wax. I know there is a thread over in survival. Irving will probably know, think he did some out of tampons. Haha!
Saw was a cheap-o $5 from Jax. It's lasted since about April. So $ well spent.
01-23-2014, 21:47
Irving
I just looked through 17 of the oldest pages in the Survival forum and couldn't find the tampon/fire disk thread. Must have been lost in the great crash.
01-23-2014, 22:20
sellersm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I just looked through 17 of the oldest pages in the Survival forum and couldn't find the tampon/fire disk thread. Must have been lost in the great crash.
Bummer.
01-23-2014, 22:29
Irving
I think you just melt candle wax, dip the makeup pad into the wax, remove and let harden/dry. The wax will be water repellent and act as your fuel source. When ready to use, break the pad in half to expose the dry, uncoated cotton (to catch your spark), and you are in business.
I basically did the same thing with a box of non-applicator tampons and candle wax (red). I still have the ones I made and still have about 60 tampons floating around my house, garage, boo kit, BOB, and car. Protip: if you let the wax get too hot, it turns very liquid and will just soak into the makeup pad/tampon. You only need it to get just hotter than liquid form so it is still thick enough to not be absorbed by the cotton.
01-23-2014, 22:49
Tinelement
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I think you just melt candle wax, dip the makeup pad into the wax, remove and let harden/dry. The wax will be water repellent and act as your fuel source. When ready to use, break the pad in half to expose the dry, uncoated cotton (to catch your spark), and you are in business.
I basically did the same thing with a box of non-applicator tampons and candle wax (red). I still have the ones I made and still have about 60 tampons floating around my house, garage, boo kit, BOB, and car. Protip: if you let the wax get too hot, it turns very liquid and will just soak into the makeup pad/tampon. You only need it to get just hotter than liquid form so it is still thick enough to not be absorbed by the cotton.
Fact!! I messed up plenty.
Quick Youtube search.........
01-23-2014, 23:02
Irving
I want to say the optimum temp is something like 130 degrees, but I'm not sure on that. Jerry knows.
01-24-2014, 09:50
rbeau30
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinelement
Fact!! I messed up plenty.
Quick Youtube search.........
Those candle warmers are awesome! They make a candle last forever. If you like the smell of a particular candle and don't want to burn it away.
Plus if you are a little squeemish about having an open flame in the house, I know some people who are. [panic]
01-25-2014, 13:12
coloshooter
Looks like a great trip, I've been looking at the esee 3. There is an archery store on i76 and Sheridan that Cary's some the esee knives.
01-26-2014, 17:14
DSB OUTDOORS
Very cool video Tin. I miss snow camping. I have the ESEE Junglass and I love it. I think the two a cousins. Beefy, very beefy.
01-27-2014, 21:05
polski
Dryer/belly button lint and wax in a cardboard egg shell make good fire starters.
Look up a youtube channel called NorwegianBushcraft, he has 2 vids on making fire starter pads. One of them he mixed a lamp oil with the wax and seams to work better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3FDeZZVjQ
12-13-2015, 21:18
Tinelement
Had the Swamp Rat out in the snow again this weekend. Made quick work of a couple trees. I am still impressed every time I take this thing out. Such a beast at splitting.
I was camping, with the second ex, a couple of years ago. One of the few times I batoned wood, this knife came out. Blew through some dead 3" aspen. The 2nd ex exclaimed "I want that knife!". Well, If you hadn't become the 2nd ex...
Im impressed with the hammock camping in the winter and out playing with knives! but i agree with wyome that wouldnt be as fun!
12-13-2015, 22:48
Ah Pook
Quote:
Originally Posted by hunterhawk
Im impressed with the hammock camping in the winter and out playing with knives! but i agree with wyome that wouldnt be as fun!
Maybe in AZ?
CO winter hammock camping does not excite me. [Coffee]
12-14-2015, 07:09
Tinelement
Winter backpacking is just like anything else, if you have the right equipment life is easy. I actually prefer it. There is a different kind of quiet back there in the winter, gives me that extra peace to recharge the batteries, and there are normally no other people. I've heard you also receive double punches on the man card. Haha!
12-14-2015, 22:42
wyome
Damn, he just mancard challenged all of us
12-14-2015, 22:48
buffalobo
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinelement
Winter backpacking is just like anything else, if you have the right equipment life is easy. I actually prefer it. There is a different kind of quiet back there in the winter, gives me that extra peace to recharge the batteries, and there are normally no other people. I've heard you also receive double punches on the man card. Haha!
